Ritzer, 24, was found dead on Oct.
22 in the woods near Danvers High School in Danvers, Mass., where she taught.
Authorities have charged Philip Chism, a 14-year-old student of Ritzer’s, with murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery in connection with her death.

Court documents released Friday shed new light on the case and indicate the
crime may have been planned in advance.

Chism came to school the day of the murder with a box cutter, a ski mask and
multiple changes of clothing, according to the documents.

A student whose name was concealed
in the document told police that on the day of the killing, she had stayed for
extra help after class and heard Ritzer and Chism talking.

Ritzer was overheard mentioning
Tennessee, where Chism had reportedly recently moved to Danvers from, and Chism
appeared upset, but the teacher didn’t appear to notice and kept talking about
it, according to the documents. When Ritzer noticed he was upset, she changed
the topic, but the student noticed Chism talking to himself, the documents say.

Surveillance video taken shortly
after the reported conversation allegedly showed Chism wearing a hood and
gloves as he followed Ritzer into the female student restroom.

An unidentified student walked into
the women’s bathroom while the two were still in there, and abruptly exited,
the documents also stated.

Ritzer was reported missing when she
never returned home from school. Her body was later found in the woods, partly
covered in leaves, and police said it appeared to be sexually positioned. Authorities
say she had been sexually assaulted with a stick.

Chism, who had been spotted at a
movie theater after the killing, was found walking along a highway in a
neighboring town around 12:30 a.m.

A police officer looked in his
backpack and found a bloodstained box cutter, according to the documents. When
asked where it came from, Chism replied, “The girl.”

Chism also had Ritzer’s credit cards
and driver’s license. He said he found them at a supermarket, then later said
he got them out of Ritzer’s car.

Police questioned his mother, who
told them that the family had recently moved from Tennessee after a stressful divorce.

Court records indicate Chism’s
parents had difficulties early in their marriage. In a parenting plan included
in 2001 divorce papers, his mother, Diana, insisted on supervising any time her
husband, Stacy, had with their son and a younger daughter. She cited “prior
physical and emotional abuse as well as alcohol abuse” by her husband. Both
adults signed the papers.

The divorce was apparently never
finalized after both parents signed an order stating they wanted to attempt to
reconcile.

Shortly after the killing, Diana
Chism released a statement through her son’s public defender saying she was
heartbroken for Ritzer’s family.

Chism is being tried as
an adult on the murder charge. He had pleaded not guilty and is being held
without bail.